S. Annie Gladys Karuna v. The Secretary To Government
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 30-03-2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE P.T. ASHA S. Annie Gladys Karuna W/o Joseph Arunlraj, No 2/105-4 Maruthappan Nagar, pannimadi, Coimbatore 641 017 ..Petitioner(s) Vs
1. The Secretary to Government Public Department, The Secretariat, Chennai 600 009.
2. The Commissioner, Commissionerate of Stationery and Printing, No.10, Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002.
..Respondent(s) PRAYER: Writ Petition has been filed under Article 226 of Constitution of India praying to issue a writ of mandamus directing the 2nd respondent to appoint the petitioner to the post of Junior Mechanic pursuant to Notification No B2/ 19303 / 2025 dated 18.08.2025 issued by the 2nd Respondent, if necessary by conducting an interview in the case of the petitioner, with arrears of pay and all other consequential benefits.
For Petitioner(s):
Mrs.Y.Kavitha Mr.Hariharan.V for M/s.P.V.S.Giridhar Associates Law For Respondent(s):
Mr.R.V.Dinesh Rajkumar, AGP
ORDER
The writ petition is filed for the below relief: "directing the 2nd respondent to appoint the petitioner to the post of Junior Mechanic pursuant to Notification No B2/ 19303 / 2025 dated 18.08.2025 issued by the 2nd Respondent, if necessary by conducting an interview in the case of the petitioner, with arrears of pay and all other consequential benefits.".
2. The brief facts which has culminated in the filing of this writ petition are set out below:
2.1. It is the case of the petitioner that she had completed her Higher Secondary Education and thereafter, completed her Diploma course in Electronic and Communication Engineering in April, 1997. She, had thereafter, re-registered in the Employment Exchange on 06.10.1997. 2.2.The petitioner would submit that between 07.04.2008 to 16.10.2013, she had served as Technical Assistant (Electronics/Mech) under Jaya J Automation, a private organization at Coimbatore. She had discontinued the said job on 16.10.2013 for personal reasons. After passage of time, the petitioner had completed her one year apprenticeship training in Electronic
Mechanic at the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Coimbatore) Limited. 2.3.At this juncture, the second respondent issued a notification dated 18.08.2025 to fill up the vacant posts of Assistant Offset Machine Technician, Junior Electrician, Junior Mechanic and Plumber-cum-Electrician at Stationery and Printing Department by Direct Recruitment. The petitioner was qualified for the post of Junior Mechanic in view of her education and technical qualification.
2.4.It is further case of the petitioner that for the post of Junior Mechanic, the educational and technical qualification published in notification dated 18.08.2025 is as follows:
"1.Must have passed the S.S.L.C. Examination or its equivalent and;
2.Must possess the appropriate Technical Trade Certificate (Mechanic) from any of the Institutions approved and recognized by the Government or must have put in the minimum period of apprenticeship prescribed under the Apprenticeship Act, 1961 (Central Act II of 1961).
Provided that other things being equal, preference shall be given in the following order:
i)Candidates who have undergone as apprentice in Government Press and possess the requisite educational and technical qualifications;
ii)Candidates who have undergone as apprentice in Government Press and possess the requisite educational and technical qualifications but do not possess the
prescribed technical qualification subject to their qualifying in Trade Test conducted by the Director of Stationery and Printing, Chennai -2;
iii)Other possessing the required educational and technical qualifications;
iv)Mazdoors below thirty-five years of age who have served for a period of not less than two years in Government Press and who possess requisite educational and technical qualifications."
2.5.She would further submit that as per the instructions issued in the notification relating to the method of selection it is stated that once the applications are considered, the eligible candidates would be called for certificate verification and interview. The candidates who were called for original certificate verification were directed to bring the certificates of the copies of the documents which they have submitted along with their application. It further stated that the person appearing for the interview cannot as a matter of right demand appointment.
2.6.The petitioner would submit that the details with reference to the age limit of the applicants stipulated in the said notification would read as follows: "Age Limit:
i)Applicants must have completed 18 years of age as on 01.07.2025 (i.e.,should have been born on or before 01.07.2007).
ii)Applicants should not have completed the following age limits as on 01.07.2025.
iii)There is no upper age limit for those who have higher educational qualification than the prescribed educational qualification for the aforesaid posts as per Section 20(8) of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016.
SCA SC ST MBC & DNC BC OC Differe ntly Abled Person Destitut e Widow Minimum 18 years i) For Public Maximum 42* ii) For Exservicemen Maximum 2.7.Therefore, the petitioner would submit that she is entitled to get appointed as she has the educational qualification and since, there is no upper age limit for those having higher educational qualification, she has to be considered. Further, she would submit that she had been sponsored by the Employment Exchange for the direct recruitment to the post of Junior Mechanic pursuant to this notification. The petitioner was called for the certificate verification on 23.01.2026 and she had also attended the same and waited for her name to be called for interview.
2.8.However, one of the officials directed her to leave the premises as all the process were over and she need not wait. The petitioner would submit that in the selection list, her name was not featured. Thereafter, when she had called on the office of the second respondent on 17.12.2025, it is informed that she was not even called for interview because she was over aged. Challenging the same, the petitioner is before this Court.
3.Heard the rival submissions and perused the materials available on record.
4.The dispute revolves around the issue of age. In the notification in question, the age criteria would state that the person who has completed 18 years of age as on 01.07.2025 could make their application and as on 01.07.2025 they should have completed the following age limits which was given in the tabulated form, which was extracted below: SCA SC ST MBC & DNC BC OC Differe ntly Abled Person Destitut e Widow Minimum 18 years i) For Public Maximum 42* ii) For Exservicemen Maximum As against the maximum age for the BC category other than Exservicemen, the age limit is 34. Admittedly, the petitioner is 50 years old.
Therefore, I see no reason to interfere with the rejection of the petitioner's candidature. Accordingly, this writ petition stands dismissed. No costs. 30-03-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order ssa To 1.The Secretary to Government Public Department, The Secretariat, Chennai 600 009.
2.The Commissioner, Commissionerate of Stationery and Printing, No.10, Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002.
P.T.ASHA, J.
ssa 30-03-2026